Magazine-gun



MAGAZINE GUN.

N0. 3f l3,883. Patented June 15, 1886.

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P. A. A'LTMAIER.

MAGAZINE GUN.

No. 343,883. Patented June 15, 1886.

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Nv PEYERS, PhMO-Lilhcgnphen washin m UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

MAGAZINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,883, dated June 15,1886.

Application filed January 19, 1886. Serial No. 189,088.

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER A. ALTMAIER, of Harrisburg, 'in the county ofDauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Magazine- Guns; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andto the figures and letters of reference marked thereon. v

This invention relates to that class of magazineguns described in myapplication No. 142,420, filed September 6, 1884, and. has for itsobject to improve the locking, feeding, and firing mechanisms ascontained in said prior application; and to this end it consists intheseveral novel and improved constructions and combinations of parts,as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved gun with the side plate removed to exhibit the position of thelocking and feeding devices when the breech-blockis closed. Figs. 2 and3 are similar views illustrating the different positions assumed by theparts when the breech-block and carrier are partially and whollyretracted. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier,breech block, and cartridgelifter. Fig. 5 is a detached view ofthefeedingorifiee and the cap-plate. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional viewthrough the carrier and cap-plate. Fig. 7 is a sectional View ofthecarrier, looking toward the face of the breech-block, the latter beingshown in elevation.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

A is the sectional breech piece or frame, secured to the stock at oneend and to the barrelB at the other, and provided with a socket, a, toreceive the end of the barrel, and ways a be neath the barrel, in whichreciprocates the longitudinally-perforated carrier 0, with its breechblock or anvil O.

B is the magazinetube, secured to the barrel and having its rear endprojecting within the longitudinal perforation in carrier 0.

D is the locking-lever, pivoted at d and engaging shoulders d on thecarrier, to lock the latter, and E is the hand lever for actuating (Nomodel.)

the carrier, provided with a shoulder, 0, engaging the locking-lever D.

F is the hammer, pivoted atf, and provided with the hookf forloekingthehammer when the carrier is retracted, and engaging the handlever whenclosed to release the hammer.

All these parts are constructed, arranged, and combined substantially asset forth in my prior application, and do not require furtherdescription in this.

The devices for communicating motion from the hand-lever to the carrierfor locking and unlocking the forward end of the latter and fortransferring and holding the cartridges have, however, been changed andimproved, as follows: Upon the under side of the forward end of carrierOis formed a shoulder, G, with which a lever, G, pivoted at g in thebreechframe, and held with its forward end pressed upward behind saidshoulder, engages. The rear end of this lever G is formed or providedwith a curved shoulder, g, and arm co-opcrating with the forward curvedend, 6, of the hand-lever E, so that when the hand-lever E is raised andthe carrier 0 forced forward un Y til its breech-block or anvil O closesthe rear end of the barrel, theforward end of the lever G will be heldbehind and agaiustthe shoulder G in the carrier, and the curved end 6 ofthe hand-lever E will stand behind the shoulderg' and beneath the arm 9on said lever G. WVhen now the hand-lever E is depressed and its forwardend raised, it will, by coming in contact with arm 9", raise the rearend of lever G, and thus hold the front end down and away from theshoulder G on the carrier until the latter has been sufficientlyretracted to clear the said lever G when the hand-lever passes beyondthe arm G As the carrier is again brought forward to close the breech,the projection G passes over the forward end of the lever G, raises thearm 9 sufficiently to permit the end of the hand-lever to again passbeneath it, before the lever rises behind the projection G.

The lever G is not depended upon to alone sustain the thrust of thecarrier when the cartridge is exploded, but to supplement the action ofthe locking-lever D or other device employed for the purpose, and beingdisconnected from the hand-lever, except when the latter is closed, itpermits of an extended movement of said hand-lever, at the same timeserving, in conjunction with the lockinglever D, to retain thehand-lever against the stock.

The cartridges contained in the magazinetube are fed through the carrierupon the cartridge-lifting devices, which latter are located at the rearend and operate vertically through a slot in said carrier, to elevatethe rear cartridge and carry it to a position in front of thebreech-block or anvil, where it is held until the carrier is againadvanced and the cartridge inserted within the barrel.

The devices for thus sustaining the cartridges in position after theyhave been elevated through the slot in the carrier and for withdrawingthe shells from the barrel, are applied to the breech-block or anvil Uin the following manner: Upon opposite sides of the breech-block oranvil O are secured springs 0, provided with inwardly-projectingparallel flanges 0 to receive the flange on the head of the cartridge.These flanges a do not extend above the level of the bore of the barrel,and serve merely as guides to direct and hold the cartridge against theface of the breech-block or anvil while being elevated. Above thebreech-block or anvil, C, is secured another spring or catch 0',provided with a downwardly-projecting flange, 0 under which the flangeof the cartridge is received and held when elevated to a position inline with the bore of the barrel. The cartridge, when elevatedsufficiently to clear the catches c and engage the catch 0, is sustainedin position by a spring-catch, 0 whose beveled end a projects through anopening in a furcated lever, 0 said lever being mounted upon a pivot, 0and working back and forth in a slot formed in the breech-block. Thefiring-pin 0 projects between the furcated end of the lever c, and isheld retracted and the lever projected by an interposed spring, a.

The operation of this part of the machine is as follows: When thecarrier 0 is retracted, the cartridge at the rear end of the. latter isforced upward by appropriate lifting mechanism, an example of which willpresently be described, the flange on the head passing up behind theflanges 0 of catches a. The cartridge as it is forced upward presses thelever 0 and catch 0 backward until its flange is brought under the catch0, when the catch 0 is released and springs forward under the head ofthe cartridge, thereby serving in conjunc .tion with the catch 0 tosustain the head of the cartridge during the forward movement of thebreech-block or anvil 0. As the cartridge, when thus elevated intoposition for insertion within the barrel, presses the lever 0 back intothe slot in the breech-block, the spring bearing upon the firing-pin iscompressed, thereby insuring the withdrawal of the latter. The catch 0,engaging the flange of the cartridge, serves also to withdraw the latterfrom the barrel when the breech-block is retracted. The lever 0 pressingagainst the head below the said catch 0, serves, when the shell iswithdrawn from the barrel, to tilt the shell upward and throw it fromthe gun, the catch 0 serving as the fulcrum about which the shell movesand from which it is disengaged as the former is elevated. 4

The devices for reciprocating the carrier and for transferring thecartridges from the interior of the carrier through the opening thereinand into position for insertion within thebarrel are constructed andarranged as follows: The forward end of the hand or actuating lever E isslotted to receive the end of a link, L, in which latter is formed acurved, Z, for the passage of the pin 1 in the lever E. The rear end ofthis link L is pivoted at on to the carrier 0 and is formed with adownwardly-projecting shoulder, 1"", which makes contact with a stop onthe framesuch as the pin supporting the lockinglever D--as the carrierapproaches the end of its rearward movement. This link L is only broughtinto action in closing the breechblock against the barrel. The pivot mon the carrier supports a link, M, looselyhung thereon and provided withan arm, in, whose under side and forward end is inclined, formingbearings m m against which the end e and an arm or projection, e of thehand-lever bear, as hereinafter described. The rear end of the link M isformed with a beveled point or finger, m, carrying a cross-pin, m andstud m.

N is the cartridge-lifter,which is formed on its under side with asocket to receive the finger' m, upon which it rests, and with a socketor bearing a to receive the stud m, and slots n to receive the cross-pin111. The forward wall of the slots n is extended downward to prevent thelifter N from becoming displaced when elevated. The upper surface of thelifter N is made concave longitudinally to receive the cartridge, and atthe rear end is secured a spring, a projecting above the lifter and heldat such a distance therefrom as to leave a space beyond the end of thelifter, into which the flanges of the cartridge-head is re ceived.

When the hand-lever is closed against the stop, as in Fig. 1, the lifterN rests between the arms of the locking-lever D, with its upper surfacein line with the opening in the carrier, so that the rear cartridge willbe forced back upon the lifter with its head against the spring a". Theforward end or arm m of the link M is now prevented from dropping by thearm 6 of the hand-lever, which stands beneath the bearing m.

To load the gun from the magazine, the handlever is thrown down or awayfrom the stock. It acts, first, upon the locking-levers to move themfrom engagement with the carrier, so that the latter can be retracted.While acting to raise the rear end of the locking-lever G, the pin Zrides in the slot Z of the link L, elevating the latter until the end ofthe handlever has nearly passed off from the arm or locking-lever G. Assoon as this takes place,

however, the arm 6 is brought into contact with the link M in front ofits pivot and starts the carrier 0 with its. lifter N and the cartridgethereon backward or away from the barrel, continuing the motion untilthe end of the hand-lever is raised sufiiciently to make contact withthe front end or arm m of the link M.

The hand-lever is'cut away or hollowed out at h where it first makescontact with the link M, so that as said hand-lever continues itsmovement it will bear against the end of the link and force the carrier0, to which said link is pivoted, back until the end of the hand levermoving in the arc of a circle is brought to bear upon the end of saidlink at a point, m, when the rearward movement of the carrier will beinterrupted and the pressure of the hand-lever will be applied in adirection to oscillate the link M and raise its rear end, therebyelevating the lifter M and with it the cartridge. As the cartridge lyingupon the lifter N passes from the carrier it enters beneath the catcheso which guide it in its vertical movement and hold the head pressedagainst the spring on the lifter, whereby the latter is tilted on thelink M as it rises, and its forward end elevated, to support the frontend of the cartridge and bring it in line with the bore of the barrel.The spring a on the lifter N, against which the head of the cartridgebears, serves not only as a means for effecting this tilting movement ofthe lifter, but also as a protection for the head of the cartridge inretracting the catch 0 lever 0 and firing-pin 0 being interposed betweenthe head and the said devices, so that when the lifter with itscartridge is elevated the spring will bear upon and force them back.

The tilting movement of the lifter N upon its supporting-link M islimited and controlled by the pin m', bearing against the walls of theslots n.

The final movement of the hand-lever to carry the cartridge beneath thecatch 0 and into position to enter the barrel is effected after theshoulder Z has been brought against its stop and the rearward movementof the carrier is arrested. XVhen this takes place, the pinZ in thefront end of the hand-lever slides in the slot Zin link L, and the pointh of the hand-lever bears down upon the arm m.

of the link M, operating to quickly depress the latter and elevate thelifter. By this movement the cartridge is brought under the catch 0 andin line with the barrel, into which it is carried when the hand-lever israised to bring the breech-block against the barrel, as follows: Thecartridge is now lying upon the lifter and in front of the breech-blockor anvil O, and is held from lateral or vertical movement by the catch0* and the spring on the lifter. The pin Z in the hand-lever is at therear extremity of the slot Z in link L and holding the carrier, whilethe point h on the hand-lever bears upon the link M, to sustain thelifter and the cartridge. The movement of the hand-lever being reversed,its forward end is raised from the link M, releasing the latter, andleaving the lifter free to be depressed within the carrier, at the sametime carrying the pin Z forward and into engagement with the front endofslotinlinkL. Thecontinuedupward movement of the hand-lever operatesthrough link L to drive the carrier forward and the cartridge into thebarrel, while the arm a rising under the link M, pushes its forward endup and its rear end, with the lifter N attached thereto, down, wherebythe lifter is drawn within the carrier and into position to receive thenext cartridge, and the carrier is advanced until the breech-block oranvil O is brought into position to close the barrel.

The lifter N is slightly beveled at the front end to facilitate itsmovement and prevent its catching upon edge of the barrel, and it isalso provided with downwardly-projecting arms a, which, being interposedbehind the row of cartridges remaining within the magazinetube, operatesas a cut-off to prevent them from being projected beneath the lifterwhen the latter is elevated.

The magazine-tube may be charged at its front end, if desired; but Iprefer, for convenience, to charge it from the rear, and to this end Imake the following provisions: In the side of the breech-piece, andopposite thelongitudinal perforation in the carrier, I form a slot oropening, S, and insert therein a cover, S, hinged at s and held down bya spring, 8'. This cover does not entirely close the opening S in thebreech-piece, but is somewhat shorter, and its rear end is furnishedwith a lip, s", to facilitate end entrance of the cartridge.

The cover S is provided with longitudinal flanges s projecting throughor into aslot, s, in the side of the carrier, said flanges being curvedto conform to the shape of the interior of the carrier, and the slot inthe latter is made sufficiently long to permit the necessary move mentsof the parts. As thus constructed and arranged, the cover S is heldclosed by its spring, and serves merely as a part of the passage-waythrough which the cartridges are conducted to the lifter. When, however,it is desired to charge the magazine, the end of the cartridge isinserted under the lip s on the cover and turned so as to raise thelatter slightly, after which it can be pushed forward under the cover,the latter serving to deflect and position it within the carrier and inrear of the spring usually employed for pressing the cartridges backtoward the feeding mechanism.

lt will be observed that when the cartridge has been brought intoposition to be inserted within thebarrel, and the hand-lever is drawnback to advance the carrier, the lifter is released, and by the pressureof the spring in the magazine-tube the rear cartridge lying within thecarrier is forced back upon the lifter and into position to be raisedout of the car rier before the breech-block is closed against thebarrel. Thus the feeding mechanism is put in condition to carry acartridge up in front of the breech-block before the preceding cartridgeis inserted, thereby not only facilitating the operation of loading andfiring, but rendering it certain that a fresh cartridge shall beinserted each time the hand-lever is carried to the extreme of itsforward movement, whether the previous cartridge has been exploded ornot, and even though the hand-lever has not been fully closed againstthe stop.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination with thecarrier and pivoted hand-lever, by which the former is reciprocated, thelocking-lever G, pivoted to the frame, with its forward end moving intoengagement with a stop on the carrier when in its forward position, andits rear end provided with an arm, such as described, for cooperatingwith the end of. the hand-lever, to lock and release the carrier, as setforth.

2. In combination with the reciprocating carrier provided with thebreech-block or anvil, as described, and supported in ways beneath thebarrel, the pivoted hand-1ever connected at its forward end to thecarrier, and the locking-lever G, pivoted in the frame and moving intoengagement with the carrier at one end and with the hand-lever at theother, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the reciprocating carrier sliding in ways beneaththe barrel and provided with the breech-block or anvil, thelocking-lever pivoted in the frame beneath the carrier, the shoulder onsaid carrier for engaging one end of the locking-lever, and the pivotedhand-lever engaging an arm on the said locking-lever, substantially asdescribed, whereby when the hand-lever is depressed to retract thecarrier the locking-lever is withdrawn from engagement with the carrier,and when raised to advance the carrier the rear end of the locking-leveris elevated to permit the free movement of the hand-lever, as set forth.

4. In combination with the longitudinallyperforated carrier throughwhich the cartridges are fed and a lifting device operating to elevatethe rear cartridge therein, the breech-block or anvil provided with theside and top catches, and the lever pivoted in the breech-block andpressing against the head of the cartridge, substantially as described.

5.- In combination with the breech-block or anvil, and the side and topcatches applied thereto, the furcated lever pivoted in the breech-block,the firing-pin, and the spring interposed between said lever and thefiringpin, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the movable breechblock or anvil and the fixedbarrel, the vertically-moving cartridge-lifter, the catches applied tothe sides and top of the breech-block, the furcated lever,firing-pin,.and interposed spring, substantially as described.

7.- The combination, with the breech-block or anvil and its side and topcatches for engaging the head of the cartridge, of the springcatchlocated in the face of the breech-block and serving to support theheadof the cartridge, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the breech-block and the vertically movablelifter, substantially as described, of the side catches on thebreech-block, and the pivoted lever carrying the spring-catch andworking in a slot in the face of the breech-block, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

9. In combination with the longitudinallyperforated reciprocatingcarrier and its breech block or anvil, the lifter mounted upon andmoving with said carrier, and the hand-lever pivoted to the frame andoperating through intermediate devices, substantially as described, toreciprocate the carrier and elevate the lifter, as and for the purposeset forth.

10. In combination with the reciprocating carrier and its breech-blockor anvil, the pivoted link supporting the lifter and mounted upon thecarrier, and the hand-lever connected to the carrier by a link andengaging the link supporting the lifter,to elevate the latter,substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the lifter loosely supported upon thevibrating link, and provided with the spring to receive the head of thecartridge, of the breech-block and its side catches engaging the flangesof the cartridgehead, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the breech-block or anvil and its sidecatches,of a lever'pivoted in and projecting from the face of the anvil,and the movable lifter provided with the cartridge-guiding spring at itsrear end, substantially as described.

1.3. The combination, with the breechblock or anvil and its side and topcatches, of the vertically-movable lifter provided with a spring, W, atits rear end, by which the cartridge is guided to its seat on the anvil,substantially as described.

14. The combination,with the breech block or anvil, its side and topcatches, and the firing-pin,of the pivoted lever projecting from theface of the anvil and the movable cartridge-lifter provided with thecartridge-guiding spring and mounted upon a link, which latter isvibrated by suitable means to reciprocate the lifter, substantially asdescribed.

15. The combination, with the lifter loosely supported upon the pivotedlink and provided with a spring to receive the head of the cartridge, ofthe breech-block provided with side and top catches,and a pivoted leverbear-- ing against the head of the cartridge to eject the latter whenwithdrawn from the barrel, substantially as described.

16. The combination, with the band and the reciprocating carrier and itsbreech block, and the hand-lever pivoted to the frame below thecarrier,of the link connecting the said lever and carrier, a second linkpivoted on the carrier and supporting the cartridge-lifter, and. the armand bearings onthe handlever, substantially as described, which engagewith the carrier and the link supporting the lifter,

and transmit the motion of the operating-lever thereto, as set forth.

17. In combination with the reciprocating carrier and its breech-blockor anvil, the link supported upon a pivot beneath the carrier, thelifter supported upon said link and moving through avertical slot insaid carrier, and the downwardly-projecting arms attached to said lifterand serving as acut-ofi, to prevent the movement of the cartridgesthrough the carrier when the lifter is elevated, substantially asdescribed.

18. The combination, with the carrier reciprocating in ways beneath thebarrel and provided with the slot or opening on one side, and the framealso provided with a slot communicating with that in the carrier, of thepivoted cover for such slot held down by a spring and provided with alip at itsend, substantially as described.

19. The pivoted cover-plate provided with interior ways, as described,in combination with the slotted frame, and the reciprocating carrier,with its side slot and longitudinal perforation communicating with themagazinetube and cartridge-feeding devices, as and for the purpose setforth.

20. In a magazine-gun such as described, and in combination with thebarrel and the longitudinally-perforated carrier reciprocating in waysbeneath the barrel, and provided with the breech-block or anvil, asdescribed, the cartridge-lifter working through a slot in the carrier,the link supporting said lifter pivoted upon and moving with thecarrier, and a pivoted hand-lever engaging the said link, to retract thecarrier and elevate thelifter, substantially as described.

21. The combination, with the reciprocating carrier and the supplementallocking-lever? engaging the forward end of said carrier, of thehand-lever pivoted in the frame, the pin carried by the hand-lever andengaging the slot in a link connecting with said lever, and thereciprocating carriage, the arm or shoulder on the supplementallocking-lever,with which the end of the hand-lever co-operates,the linkM, carrying the lifter pivoted upon the carrier and provided with thearm m, against which the end of the hand-lever makes contact, to firstreciprocate the carrier and then elevate the lifter, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

PETER A ALTMAIER.

